


Cobblepots.

by Aziraphale7



Category: Batman - Fandom, Batman Returns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-08 06:52:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17381729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aziraphale7/pseuds/Aziraphale7
Summary: Just a little thing I wrote awhile ago that sort of sums up the span of Tucker Cobblepot's life as I had previously wrote. It speaks a lot of his and Esther's relationship and their reaction to Oswald and well as the year they had attempted to care for him prior to the bridge incident.





	Cobblepots.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> Just putting a little note here that Tucker Cobblepot as I write him is based entirely on writings I have worked on for over a year now (most if not all will be posted here). I grew oddly attached to the character along with Oswald when watching Batman Returns as a child, and developed a sort of background for him and worked off of that.

Gotham was an oddity when it came to cities. Having lived here his entire life and having heard many stories of the generations before him, he knew the very depths of which the city ran. His job as a district attorney also gave him a rather in depth insight to the inner workings of the bleak place. He worked with case after case, a variation of things running across his desk from the darkest of slaughters to the simplest of thefts. He was made aware of everything. 

Perhaps it was this that had caused his ever weakening parents to take notice of something changing about him. They would always mention a dull look in his eyes, a sagging in his face from the lack of sleep and the unruly state that his short hair often was in. He had always written it off as stress but that was only a miniscule portion of the problem. Each day seemed to eat away at him more and more. He felt like a piece of him was chipped away with each passing moment in his day to day life. Occasionally he would decide to take a stroll home rather than ride in the safety of a vehicle. It was almost a test of fate, to see if the universe was truly as cruel as Gotham had made it out to be. Though the only thing that ever truly happened was his wallet being snatched up on occasion, just to be returned with all of his cash emptied out of it. 

It was an oddity in its atmosphere.The weather always seemed to remain the same. It was either mist covered and rainy or cloudy and dimly lit. There was a bleakness to the city and perhaps that was something that attracted so much distress. The people within the city simply added to the vast uniqueness of the place. No person was alike though they all held rather similar motives. Even the most kind hearted of people turned corrupt over time within Gotham. It wasn’t a choice most often, almost like a disease being inflicted upon the residents of this glorious city. 

Tucker had never held much interest in others. He was extremely reserved, having been raised to be a gentleman by his parents. The man was most often more lost within his own mind rather than focusing on the minds of others. People came and went from his life, and even his parents eventually passed on leaving him alone in this god forsaken home. 

But that was when they had met. It was almost like a miracle in the attorney’s life. It was cliche and cheesy in the sense of her bringing an odd sense of joy and colour into his previously broken life. The time spent together seemed to slowly mend each broken piece within him and as time went on they seemed to simply fall more in love with one another. It had been unknown to him prior to meeting his beloved Esther that one could ever find a true love within the imprisoning city. Most lovers he had heard of came to deals, made marriages out to be like contracts where both got something they wished out of it. Most often said wish was money. Sure, eventually some of those couples learned to love each other as well but this was much different than that. Tucker had no desire for any sort of binding contract with her, he had no wish to harm her in any way or make her out to be some sort of property and nothing more. 

Being the current head of the well known Cobblepot household, Tucker had little worries of pressure to marry or bring Esther into his family. Their time together stretched on and they seemed to see each other in similar ways. Each had their sins and a darkness that they faced throughout their days but then they would always return home to each other. They saw each other as a light within the engulfing darkness of Gotham. No matter what happened out there, no matter what horrors crossed their paths while they were away, they always knew they had something to come back home to. A softness, a light, a love that they would never wish to lose. 

Tucker and Esther wed sooner than most yet later than everyone around them had suspected. They had grown accustomed to being together often and making appearances publicly together as Mr. and Mrs. Cobblepot. A year or so after they married, Esther was found to be with child, much to both her and Tucker’s joy. 

The following months were softer than even before. Tucker, despite their butler and staff being present, often would do his best to care for his wife. The trials of pregnancy were hard after all and most often exhausting. He began to speak less of his work and more of what they imagined might unfold in their future. Steadily he grew more exhausted, yet the ever gentle love and joy still lingered within him as he remained with Esther as much as he possibly could throughout the process of her pregnancy. They often received gifts of various accord from luxurious blankets, or the ever softest cotton clothing for their child. Despite the ever loving and light atmosphere, upon going to sleep, Tucker would be kept awake by an odd sensation of dread. Just new parent nerves. He brushed it off as, never informing Esther of such behaviour in hopes to not stress her more than she already may be. 

There hadn’t been any complications as far as he had been informed. Despite Esther’s pleads, the physician had informed him that it would be best that he wait outside of the room. Nerves were taking over him, causing his hands to shake as he paced around the room. Occasionally he would run his fingers along the spines of the many books about, hoping to possibly find one he had not yet read. He simply need a distraction from the concern that beginning to eat away at him as the dread washed over him once more. Smoke slipped past Tucker’s lips as he stood near one of the windows within the room. He watched the snow fall silently outside and the moonlight dance across the miniscule bodies of water further out. Though his gaze was clouded, simply staring absentmindedly ahead as he smoked in means of somehow curing his own nervous energy. 

His mind had mistaken the sudden outbreak of sound as a cry though after another listen to the incessant noise that was filling the corridor, it sounded more like a weak sort of squawking. Tucker turned swiftly, catching sight of the housewife fleeing from the bedroom. The dread worsened and his feet seemed to move on their own, carrying him steadily towards the bedroom. Their butler passed him, holding a handkerchief to his mouth and looking as though he were going to be ill. This caused Tucker to now sprint towards the room, desperate to see that his family were alright. 

He was hardly prepared for what met his dark eyes. Esther seemed fine physically other than the expected exhaustion, yet as she looked down at their newborn child, a terror had crossed her features. The light seemed to leave her eyes almost as though she were going to faint. Tucker had instinctively reached forward wishing to comfort her yet his eyes were glued to the various deformities of the child that she held. A sharp bone-like nose, scrawny twisted limbs and an oddly plump body. Even after just been born recently, the child’s eyes were partially opened, revealing dark almost black eyes flickering around swiftly to look at the surroundings. The result of his and Esther’s ever growing love and affections, the result of the light they had found within the walls of Gotham was a monster. Perhaps the universe had destined Gotham to be a place of misfortune, no matter how much light you tried to find within it. The sound of Tucker’s frightened screams filled the corridor and into the night turned into small, whimpering sobs. 

News had spread of Esther losing the child and the Cobblepot family was hardly heard from outside of especially rare public appearances. People simply believed them to be mourning their supposed loss, though they were truly at home trying to rally a violent child. Oswald often bit them, digging his unusually sharp teeth into their flesh. His grasp was also intense, causing a deep red mark against Tucker’s wrist for a long while. The child would hiss and flail, crying out in that horrendously familiar bird-like sound. Picking him up was impossible and feeding him was quite the task. They had tried their best to care for the son they had been given despite their concerns. Esther often shared concerns of Oswald frightening the city and in turn causing a plight on the Cobblepot name as well as destroying the light that they had held so dearly within another. 

Tucker most often was too occupied with the thoughts of what the child may do next rather than futuristic concerns. His worry laid on their safety and the possible routes they may go raising such a violent child. Though despite their willingness to attempt to raise their son, they had discussed plans to go through with should Oswald become too violent or uncontrollable. He prayed it never came to it but as the year went on it seemed more likely. The light they had found with each other within the manor seemed dimmed by the darkness that Oswald’s hissing and rough swings brought about. Though still particularly young, nearly a year old, he was learning terrifyingly fast how to move and hold himself up. 

It got to the point that Esther pleaded for Tucker to fashion a box of sort for Oswald to stay in so they may suffer less injuries, along with the feline they had been given as a welcoming gift the year before for Oswald. It was more like a cage, though with only a small window in which to give the child food and attend to. It seemed to work particularly well and he most often was deathly quiet inside of it. As if he was waiting for something. 

Mr. Cobblepot was unsure whether the hissing or the silence drove him more mad. Their backs were turned to the currently silent boy. Tucker absentmindedly watched the snow fall outside the window, his brown gaze not focused on any particular detail in front of him. He was lost within his own mind for the first time in a long time. The only thing keeping him connected to reality was the familiar warmth of his wife at his side as well as the cold sensation of the glass he held so carefully in his grasp. Tucker could almost pretend this was similar to the Christmas holidays that he and Esther had spent together the couple of years prior to Oswald’s birth. Yet, almost as if knowing his father’s thoughts, the scratching sound of the box shaking filled the room. This typically meant he was hungry. 

Esther shared a pointed glance with him, making him swallow hard in anticipation for whatever sight may welcome them as they turned back towards the child. Almost as soon as Tucker had focused onto the dark coloured box that Oswald was hidden inside, he saw the blur of white fur vanish inside. Despite the shock of the scene unfolding before them as Oswald appeared to be brutalising their cat, Tucker remained oddly calm. His once gentle brown eyes stared absentmindedly ahead and he took a moment to gulp down his champagne. 

It was cold. Not that it never was in Gotham, as most often it was, but this night seemed particularly chilled. Tucker’s monocle was beginning to frost, making it a bit harder for him to see where they were headed. Living on the outskirts of the city certainly had its perks as it was less likely that anyone would see them and the careening, furiously shaking baby carriage. The sound of crunching snow was all he could focus on in the moment as it all almost felt like just some horrid nightmare he was having. 

He almost slipped on occasion, once in the exact moment of someone passing, causing him to need to feign a friendly smile in the direction of the other elegantly dressed parents. Tucker almost had fallen into the snow right then and there, his heart racing so much he thought it may fly out of his chest at any second. This deed must be done. He told himself as they approached the small bridge. It was for theirs and others safety- He had to convince himself of that. He just watched Oswald consume their cat!

He and Esther exchanged one last glance before lifting the baby carriage as best as they could. It shook and rammed into their cheeks and noses as they lifted the carriage together over the bridge railing. It wasn’t a far drop but it was all they had. It was a blur to him. Tucker remembered pushing the carriage onto the frozen railing but next thing he knew he was watching it vanish at the end of the line, floating down into the sewers underneath the city. A heavy breath slipped past his lips, dull and dreary eyes focused on the point where the last evidence of Oswald’s existence had vanished. Corruption and darkness had combined once more, leaving him with just Esther once again. 

Tucker wished to hold onto her and attempt to comfort her, yet he continued to watch the same spot in horror as though he expected Oswald to suddenly appear once more. The comforting warmth of his wife nearby calmed the fears ever slightly and a more solemn tone began to overtake his thoughts. Without second thought, he turned to hug Esther tightly, taking in the comforting familiarity of it just being the two of them once more. A sadness and guilt clawed at his chest, but nevertheless he took Esther’s arm and walked with her back home once more.


End file.
